At one point in time, the Pride Fighting Championships was considered the premier stage for all mixed-martial artists. In fact, the consensus goal of nearly every fighter was to someday become a Pride fighter.
Well, those dreams and aspirations were shot dry when Zuffa, owned by brothers Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta purchased Pride in 2007.
The Japan-based organization of Pride would quickly fade away to nothing.
In result, many of Pride’s fighters made the transition to the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
The dismissal of Pride brought an uproar, as it was considered to be that one organization that just seemed to work.
And as we know, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
“Fix it” is exactly what Zuffa did; or, as some would say, they removed Pride from the face of the earth.
Not only did Zuffa eliminate a key outlet to the world of MMA, but they destroyed the one organization that many fans and viewers truly loved.
While Zuffa may have benefited as a whole, those involved, such as the fans and fighters, did not. In fact, many martial artists’ careers went south, as they were essentially entering into a whole new world of MMA.
From a ring to a cage with different rules, it took some time for many fighters to adjust.
For others, their reputations were tarnished, as they never appeared to be the same.
Wanderlei Silva, a former Pride legend, went nearly four years without a single loss inside the ring. Since leaving Pride, Silva has posted a sub-par 4-3 record, and he’s now classified as a martial artist who couldn’t get the job down at the highest level of the sport.
However, while several fighters’ reputations were scratched and burned along the way, the rationale for keeping Pride around should have been a direct result of the fans’ love for the organization.
Zuffa should have kept Pride around.
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